


S-S-Steve

by FestiveFerret



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cute, Domestic, Fluff, M/M, POV Multiple, POV Outsider, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2019-05-13 20:17:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14755613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FestiveFerret/pseuds/FestiveFerret
Summary: Tony is acting really weird around Steve.





	S-S-Steve

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to ashes0909 for beta!

Nat stretched out on the chaise, twisting her hips so the sun could catch the other side of her legs. They were perfectly blocked from the wind here, on this balcony, and when summer hit its peak there was no better place to lounge.

She had a book with her, but it rested, forgotten, next to her on the chaise, the cover uncracked. She blinked her eyes open behind her heavy sunglasses then tipped them closed again. Her baking skin sprung up with sweat but in a warm-to-the-bones, satisfying kind of way, instead of a sticky, itchy kind of way. 

Steve sighed softly to her left. "This was a good idea," he said, and she could hear him bring his straw to his lips and take a deep drink from his soda. The bubbles ticked against the metal can as they popped. "It's nice to relax for a while."

"Mmm," she agreed, stretching out her toes.

The sliding glass door to the balcony sprung open and Tony's light, skittery footsteps clattered across the concrete.

"Do you know where my wallet is?" he asked. Nat tilted her head to pinpoint the direction of his words without opening her eyes. Tony was talking to Steve, not her. She relaxed again.

Steve hummed. "I last saw it on the mantelpiece in the den."

"Oh, shit yeah! That's where it was. Cause of the thing, with the stuff." Tony made a pleased noise. "Thanks, s-s-s uh. Steve."

Nat's eyes popped open. The tips of Tony's ears were bright red and he had the look of someone who'd just stuck their foot in their mouth. 

That… was distinctly odd. 

Nat watched Tony charge off the balcony, then dropped her eyes to Steve, but he wasn't looking at her, he'd opened his book again and was smiling serenely at it, the sun baking down on his forty acres of perfect, pale skin. 

Hmm.

* * *

Thor reached up and stretched his arm behind his head. His fingers itched for Mjolnir. Captain America was a worthy opponent to practice with, but he missed the days when he and the Warriors Three would go full tilt at each other, with all their armour and weapons, no holds barred. He'd slept many a satisfying night, muscles aching pleasantly, pleased by the power and agility of his team, and dreamt of celebratory feasts and victory parades.

It was different, here in a skyscraping tower on Midgard, training and fighting with the Avengers. They were good people, of course they were, but they were people nonetheless, and Thor had to be careful with them.

Steve charged.

Thor swung, but Steve snuck in under his arm and wrapped around his waist, twisting and bringing them both tumbling down to the mats. Steve let out a huff when Thor landed on top of him. 

A bright, sharp whistle from the other end of the room caught them both by surprise and they looked up to see Tony draped over the handles of a treadmill. He was wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants, his water bottle tucked in the little holder on the treadmill, clearly about to start a workout. 

Tony smirked. "Looking good, you two. Keep at it and maybe someday you'll be able to take Thor down without taking down yourself at the same time, s-s-s-s-.... Steve."

Steve snorted then rolled to his feet and crossed the room to where his own water bottle sat, but Tony's eyes had gone white and his face pale. 

"Are you unwell?" Thor asked him.

Tony's eyes snapped back over to him. "Who? Me? No no, nonono. Fine. Good. I'm fine. What?"

"You seem upset," Thor pressed, making his way over to Tony to peer into his face. Tony was the weakest of the team, when out of his armour, and it was a constant worry that he'd become injured or fall ill. Thor frowned at him. "Your speech sounds off. I'm merely worried about you."

Tony patted him awkwardly on the arm with a small cough. "No worries, big guy. All is well in Tonyville. I just, uh, had a thing. It's fine. Go back to your mud wrestling, and feel free to take off whatever clothing is impeding your ability to really get a solid workout. Either of you." He hit the button on the treadmill, stumbled a bit, then started to jog.

Thor made his way back to the mats, but he kept one eye on Tony, as he and Steve warmed up again. He was a bit flushed, and he seemed distracted. Tony usually enjoyed his jogs, but today his rhythm was unsteady on the belt and his eyes kept flickering off to the side. Thor would have to keep an eye on him to make sure he wasn't sick or injured. It wasn't like Tony to be uncertain, but that was vibe he was giving off.

How odd.

* * *

 

Bruce nudged a test tube closer and Tony picked it up carefully and slotted it into the centrifuge.

"It'll be exciting if it goes boom," Tony said, eyes glowing.

"It'll be expensive if it goes boom," Bruce said wryly, "because then I will go boom too. What's with you and boom anyway?"

Tony pouted. "I like a good boom. Who doesn't like a good boom?"

"Your insurance company," a voice said from the hall. Bruce and Tony looked up together to find Steve, lounging against the door frame. He had a way of filling space that always took Bruce by surprise. He could be small, unassuming, when he wanted to, but when he stood tall, he almost loomed. Bruce leaned away from it. 

But, he noticed, Tony leaned in.

"You like a good boom, though, don't you?" he said, his whole body shifting to bring Steve into his space. Tony's body language was some of the loudest Bruce had ever seen, and more often than not it was radiating  _ fuck off,  _ but around the Avengers he was open and welcoming and almost needy in the way he drew them in. This, though, this was something else. This had yearning under it in a way Bruce hadn't seen before. Tony's hands gripped the edge of his stool like a swimmer, waiting for the gunshot to signal a dive in. He looked ready to dive into Steve.

Interesting.

"I prefer a quiet resolution, but if a boom is what you're aiming for, I'm all for it." His lips quirked up in a smirk, and his eyes flicked over Tony's head, shooting a question at Bruce. Bruce shook his head, and Steve looked back at Tony, mock sadness twisting his expression now. "Ooh, sorry, Bruce says no."

"You ruin all the fun, Gummy Bear," Tony said, looking over his shoulder at Bruce, but leaving every fibre of the rest of him stretching towards Steve.

"I came to ask if you guys wanted to join me, Natasha, and Clint for a movie tonight. It's some action thing."

"Yeah, I'd love to come, ba-" Steve's eyebrow raised the smallest amount, and Tony broke into a horrific coughing fit, cutting off the rest of his words.

"You okay?" Bruce patted him on the back.

Tony nodded. "Fine," he creaked around another cough. He gave a thumbs up at Steve, who had his lips pursed together like he was trying not to laugh.

"See you tonight, then," Steve said, and he whisked away back into the hallway.

"See ya. Steve." Tony's red face took a long time to fade back to normal even after his coughing faded, and for the entire run of the centrifuge - which did not boom - Tony wouldn't meet Bruce's eye.

Huh.

* * *

 

Taylor Swift hit the chorus, and Clint took it away on his spatula, pausing between rifs to flip over the pancakes that bubbled at the edges. When the song ended, he turned to Steve with a questioning look.

Steve gave him a thumbs up without even looking up from his newspaper. "Ten out of ten."

"Thanks, man." Clint went back to the stove. 

The trick to perfect pancakes was having the griddle at the right heat - not so cool they never cooked, but not so hot the outsides cooked before the insides did. 

Also, butter.

Clint sliced off another pat of butter and tossed it in the pan, dodging it as it bubbled and melted to scoop the last pancake out. He leaned over the counter and dropped it on Steve's plate. Steve looked up to beam at him. "Thanks."

"No problem. I know you'll make it up to me on bacon day."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "What's bacon day?" 

"Oh, funny you should ask. It's this Friday and it's usually celebrated by making your favourite archer a really big plate of bacon."

Steve smiled serenely down at his paper. "What if you don't have a favourite archer?"

"Fuck you," Clint said around a laugh, but before he could add anything else, Tony came careening into the room. 

"You will never believe what just happened, s-sw-ee-uh, shit!" Tony caught sight of Clint and stumbled, tripping over his own feet and only catching himself with one arm on the edge of the counter and one arm caught in Steve's firm grip. He stared at Clint for a moment, as if he were a ghost, then slid slowly out of Steve's space, staunchly avoiding turning his eyes that way. "Um," he said. "Steve."

Steve stared at him, an Tony stared back, the two gaping at each other like a cod looking in a mirror for the first time. Clint shuffled uncomfortably. Something weird as fuck was going on between those two. 

"What?" he said loudly, and the two men sprung apart.

Tony shot Clint the oddest look then turned on his heel and marched out. "Nevermind!" he called.

"What the fuck is up with him?" Clint asked, but Steve only shook his head, pressing his fork into his pancake. 

But when Clint looked back over at him, Steve was smiling down at his newspaper, and it was the softest, sweetest smile Clint had ever seen on Captain America's face.

Weird.

* * *

 

"What is going on between you?" Nat finally said. "Tony, you're being so weird. All awkward and stuttery around Steve, and saying his name oddly."

"His name?" Tony asked, voice squeaking up several octaves. 

"Yeah," Clint piped up. "You never used to call him by his name. You called him Cap, or Capsicle, or Red, White, and Boring. Or even Rogers. But now you just keep calling him 'Steve' in this weird super formal way."

"Please tell me you're not in a disagreement," Thor said, brow pinching with sadness. 

Bruce patted Tony on the shoulder. "If something's come between you two, we can talk about it."

Steve snorted then slapped his hand over his mouth, and Tony leapt to his feet. "Nope, nope, no. Nope." He pointed at Steve. "No." Steve grinned. "I can't do this anymore. I cannot."

"Tony, what's going on?" Nat insisted.

"I keep almost saying sweetheart, okay!" Tony threw his arms in the air. "I keep almost calling him sweetheart and then I have to remember to say Steve. I can't seem to stop myself, it just wants to spill out all the time. I'm sorry, sweetheart." He turned to Steve and rested a hand in the centre of Steve's chest. Steve brought up his own hand to cover it. He was smiling brightly now. "I'm sorry. I can't keep it in anymore. Darling, sweetheart, pookie, light of my life, sweetpea, gorgeous, babe, honey," Tony rambled off in a single breath. "Fuck. I've been wanting to say that for two weeks now."

Everyone stared at them.

"Uh, so yeah, we're dating," Steve said, with a self-conscious shrug. "We wanted to keep it to ourselves until we were sure it was going to turn into something, but... Uh…" His eyes met Tony's and stayed glued there, bright and happier than Nat had ever seen them. "It really has."

"Yes. It has." Tony pointed an accusing finger at the rest of the group. "I would just like to point out that I managed to keep it a secret that all of this -" he gestured to Steve in his entirety, earning a pretty, faint flush on Steve's cheeks "- was in my bed every night for  _ two weeks  _ and that's some pretty damn impressive self-control. So you can think about that when you decide if you're going to mock me for the rest of forever."

"Oh no, we're going to mock you," Clint said.

"Rest of forever," Thor agreed, nodding.

"This is why we don't take you on undercover missions," Nat told him. 

"Fuck you all," Tony said, without heat. He took Steve's hand, shooting him an altogether too sappy look and led him off towards the doorway. "And now, if you don't mind. Me and my  _ sweetheart  _ are going on a date."

Steve turned back as they disappeared through the door. He shot them a little wave, grinning dopily.

The team sat in silence for a moment, letting it all sink in. 

"Shit, do you know what this means?" Clint asked.

Nat narrowed her eyes at him. "What?"

"Now that they're not being careful about being caught, they're going to be all over each other all the time. They're not going to worry about being  _ quiet." _

Nat stared out the window, a thousand visions flashing before her eyes. Catching Tony and Steve making out on the couch that she sat on… gross kissing noises all through movie night… super soldier buttprints on the kitchen counter… middle-of-the-night, we-almost-died moaning volumes….

"Oh no," she whispered. "We made a horrible mistake."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! You can follow me on tumblr at festiveferret.tumblr.com
> 
> This is for my bingo square "Nicknames"


End file.
